程门立雪 – Chinese philosophy and culture

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chéngmén-lìxuě 程门立雪

Standing in Snow at the Gate of the Cheng Home

冒雪侍立在程颐(1033—1107)门外。立雪:站在雪地里。北宋时,有个叫杨时(1053—1135)的人,他和朋友游酢(1053—1123)一同去著名学者程颐家里请教问题。程颐正在午睡。为了不打扰老师,两人冒着大雪,恭敬地在门外等候,积雪达一尺厚。程颐醒来,深受感动,悉心指导杨时,杨时最终学有所成。这个故事树立了学生诚心求教、尊敬老师的榜样。又据禅宗典籍记载,二祖慧可(神光)为求得菩提达摩指引,亦于夜晚大雪天长时间侍立。“立雪”与“尊师重道”所体现的是同一个道理。这也是中华民族自古崇尚的美德。

In the Northern Song Dynasty, Yang Shi (1053-1135), together with his friend You Zuo (1053-1123), went to visit the renowned scholar Cheng Yi (1033-1107) to seek his answer to some questions they had. Cheng was having a nap. Not to disturb him, they waited outside the gate, standing in heavy snowfall. When Cheng woke up, he was deeply moved and gave detailed answers to Yang Shi’s questions. Yang later became a great scholar. This story urges students to learn from their teachers respectfully. A similar story is told in a Zen Buddhist text. Huike, a Buddhist monk, sought guidance from Bodhidharma, who is credited with having introduced Zen to China. Huike also waited a long time at night in heavy snowfall outside Bodhidharma’s abode. These stories show that respecting teachers has been one of the great traditions of the Chinese nation since ancient times.

引例 Citations:

◎一日见颐,颐偶瞑坐,时与游酢侍立不去。颐既觉,则门外雪深一尺矣。(《宋史·杨时传》)

(一天,杨时去拜见程颐,程颐正好在午睡。杨时和游酢一直侍立在门外,等程颐醒来,门外的积雪已经有一尺深了。)

One day Yang Shi went to see Cheng Yi. The latter happened to be taking a nap, so Yang Shi and his companion You Zuo stood outside and waited. When Cheng woke up, the snow outside his gate was already quite deep. (The History of the Song Dynasty)

◎(神光)乃往彼晨夕参承,师常端坐面墙,莫闻诲励……其年十二月九日夜,天大雨雪,光坚立不动,迟明积雪过膝。(释道原《景德传灯录·慧可大师》)

(于是神光和尚就赶赴菩提达摩处早晚参拜侍候,菩提达摩常常面壁端坐,神光从未听菩提达摩说过一句教导鼓励的话……这年十二月初九夜间,天降大雪,神光笔直侍立在菩提达摩身旁不动,到天亮的时候大雪已经没过了膝盖。)

So the monk Huike went to see Bodhidharma and attended on him at dawn and dusk. The master always sat facing a wall without giving a word of guidance or encouragement… On the night of the ninth day of the twelfth month that year, there was a heavy fall of snow. Huike stood straight beside Bodhidharma, and by daybreak snow had reached above his knees. (Shi Daoyuan: Buddhist Teachings During the Jingde Reign of Emperor Zhenzong of the Song)

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